Hailie Deegan Takes Next Step with ARCA Menards Series Debut

Toyota Racing Development (TRD) driver Hailie Deegan will make her highly anticipated ARCA Menards Series (ARCA) debut with Venturini Motorsports (VMS) on Sunday, May 19 in the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 at Toledo Speedway.

Making her first of six ARCA starts on the season, Deegan, 17, will drive the team’s No.55 TRD 40th Anniversary Toyota with Frank Kimmel serving as crew chief. Deegan will also carry sponsorship support from Monster Energy and iK9.

“I’m super excited for this opportunity especially coming to a short track for my first ARCA race,” said Deegan. I think this first race is all about finding out where I stack up against the field and find out where I’m at compared to everyone else.

“Once we get a baseline I think we’ll definitely start to work up from there and get better finishes. But first things first, I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I’m coming here to learn a lot and do as much as I can and get some good results. For now, my goal is to learn as much as I can and shoot for top-five finishes.”

Deegan, a native of Temecula, CA is one of the most compelling driver prospects in the sport today. She etched her name in NASCAR's record books last year becoming the first female to win a NASCAR K&N Pro Series event in over 30-years. She backed up her record setting performance earlier this season grabbing more headlines after picking up her second career victory at the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The daughter of legendary X Games Motocross giant Brian Deegan, Hailie began her driving career at the age of eight racing dirt on four wheels. She's the only female driver in the Lucas Oil Off Road Pro series as well as Regional series to win Championships in 2013, 2015, 2016 along with being the only youth ever to win the Lucas Oil Off Road Pro Series Driver of the Year award (2016).

Hailie has been surrounded by some of the best coaches and industry leaders her entire life. With these resources at her fingertips and her partnership with TRD, she is confident that she can continue to find success as she climbs the ranks of NASCAR in pursuit of one day becoming one of the sports' elite drivers.

Practice for the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 at Toledo Speedway is scheduled for 12:30 pm ET on Saturday, May 18, followed by General Tire Pole Qualifying at 4 pm ET. The Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 will go green shortly after 2 pm ET on Sunday, May 19. The race will be televised live on MAVTV.